What is A*STARS

The A*STARS program is a comprehensive program aimed at promoting safer and healthier lifestyle choices among school and college aged children.

By combining road safety education, health promotion, and sustainable travel awareness, it addresses multiple facets of well-being for students and the broader school community. This holistic approach not only equips students with essential knowledge and skills for staying safer on the roads but also promotes healthy lifestyle choices and encourages environmentally friendly modes of transportation to and from school.

Moreover, the program's focus on supporting children's development from birth to adulthood ensures that it has a lasting impact throughout their formative years. By instilling these values and behaviours early on, A*STARS sets a strong foundation for a lifetime of safe, healthy, and sustainable practices.

The Benefits

The benefits of the A*STARS program are numerous and impactful:

The Benefits Of A*STARS

Encouragement of Physical Activity: The A*STARS program provides opportunities for students to increase their levels of physical activity through initiatives such as walking, cycling, and scooting to and from school. By promoting active travel options, the program contributes to improved physical health and well-being among students.
Access to Walsall Council Services & Partners: Schools participating in the program gain access to a range of road safety, sustainable travel, and traffic management services including Parking enforcement and traffic management.
Tailored Solutions: The program offers customised packages of road safety and sustainable travel measures to meet the specific needs of each participating school.
Free Resources and Support: A*STARS provides schools with a wealth of free resources, training, and support materials to facilitate the implementation of road safety and sustainable travel initiatives. This support empowers schools to effectively engage students and staff in promoting safer and healthier lifestyles.
Awareness Raising: By actively promoting road safety issues within and around schools, the program helps raise awareness among students, staff, and parents. This increased awareness can lead to improved safety behaviours and reduced risks for pedestrians, cyclists, and other road users.
Dedicated Website: The program utilizes a dedicated A*STARS website as a central hub for resources, information, and support related to road safety and sustainable travel. This online platform enhances accessibility and facilitates communication among participating schools, stakeholders, and program administrators.

Overall, the A*STARS program offers a comprehensive suite of benefits designed to support schools in promoting safer, healthier, and more sustainable travel options for their students and communities.

Our Objectives

The objectives of the A*STARS program are clear and focused, aiming to achieve several key outcomes

The Benefits Of A*STARS

Increase the number of pupils using all forms of safer, sustainable travel on the journey to and from schools and provide evidence of modal shift
Increase knowledge and understanding of healthy lifestyles, road safety and sustainable travel by providing education, training and encouragement
Provide a safer, cleaner environment in the vicinity of schools to benefit everyone
Enable schools to take ownership of the programme and promote its key messages to parents and the wider community

Targets:

Short term

Increase walking and cycling
Every school to participate in walking/cycling/road safety campaign
Provide training and volunteering opportunities for adults
Every school to have a dedicated school champion
Every school to have student advocate groups to lead the programme (Sheriffs)

Long term

Majority of schools registered on the A*STARS programme
Increase walking and cycling levels by 1% per annum
Increase the number of children between the ages of 10 and 16 participating in Bikeability Training in line with Department for Transport targets
Every primary school participating in Child Pedestrian Training
Educate young adults about the benefits of safer driving and sustainable travel

The A*STARS Pathway

The A*STARS programme offers interventions and initiatives from birth across all stages of a child’s educational life using three customised pathways.

Intermediate

Nursery 0-11 Years

The intermediate path has 3 tiers: Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Schools earn a level annually based on achievements and active travel.

View Intermediate Pathway

Higher

11-16 Years

The A*Stars Programme comprises of various initiatives which help to create a package to suit your school needs.

View Higher Pathway

Advanced

College

A*Stars Advanced partners with post-16 schools, promoting sustainable travel and healthier lifestyles in schools.

View Advanced Pathway

How To Register

Stage 1:

Initial Registration & Assessment

Expression of Interest:
Complete the expression of interest form available on the website to signify the school's intent to participate in the A*STARS programme.
Registration Audit and Needs Assessment:
Schools must then complete a registration audit and conduct a student travel survey to assess the specific needs and baseline status of their participation.

Stage 2:

Terms, Conditions, and Planning

Terms and Conditions:
After completing stages 1-4 of the audit, schools must have the terms and conditions section signed by the headteacher and chair of governors, and then upload this documentation.
Appointment of School Co-ordinator:
Schools appoint a co-ordinator who is responsible for attending a training event, producing an action plan in conjunction with the school, and leading the programme's implementation.

Stage 3:

Training, Selection, and Programme Launch

Selection and Training of Sheriff/Pupil:
Pupils are selected to assist the co-ordinator and take on leadership roles at both class and school levels. The A8Stars team provides training to support the initial setup.
Official Programme Launch:
With all the preliminary steps completed, the school is now ready to officially launch the A*STARS programme.

Our Achievements

	Active Travel
8%	Increase in walking to school rates.
8%	Schools are involved in our 5 min walk zone initiative which encourages parent to park 5 minutes away from school and walk the remaining journey.
8%	Primary, secondary and independent schools actively participating in the programme to promote sustainable and active travel to school.

	Environment
6%	Lower than the national average for the car usage in schools.
+20k	Children participated in Walk to School Week.
8%	Decrease in car usage.

	Road Safety
+2400	Reception aged pupils and their parents have received practical pedestrian training.
1250	Pupul have been trained to Bikeability level 2/3.
1800	Year 3 pupils received practical pedestrian training along with classroom lessons.
+80	Year 12 pupils attended young pre-driver workshops.

	Educational
+5000	Children participated in lessons around in-car safety, speeding and be bright being seen.
+250	Sheriff's (school pupil advocate) delivered assemblies, competitions and raised awareness.
2000	Transition sessions delivered to year7 pupils.